| Description |
This dissertation consists of three essays examining the institutional obstacles to entrepreneurship under conditions of risk and uncertainty. The first essay develops a mathematical model that simulates the efficacy of different kinds of social networks in enrolling human capital under conditions of risk and uncertainty. The second essay is an inductive case study of how refugee entrepreneurs acquire the resources necessary to start a new venture when they lack the preexisting network ties previously considered critical to the success rates of immigrant entrepreneurs and native-born entrepreneurs. The third essay explores the competing institutional logics facing a nascent immigrant entrepreneur. In particular, how, when, and under what circumstances conflicting institutional logics may lead change or follow from it. Institutional logics provide the context and action through which entrepreneurs, investors, and other key stakeholders make sense of their new social reality during their search for identity, employment, and economic growth. The contribution of this study lies in explaining how competing institutional logics can influence entrepreneurial behavior. |
